Manchester Folk Festival 2023: John Smith @ Hallé St Peter's

plus support from Clara Mann

Presented by: English Folk Expo

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0	MANCHESTER: Hallé St Peter's
P	Saturday 21st October, 2023
N	7:15pm

Event information

Part of Manchester Folk Festival 2023. Support from Clara Mann

JOHN SMITH
John Smith was born in Essex and raised on the Devon seaside. Known for his intimate songwriting, his honey-on-gravel voice and pioneering guitar playing, he has spent the last fifteen years touring internationally and has amassed over 55 million streams on Spotify. As a session musician he has played guitar with artists as diverse as Joan Baez, David Gray, Joe Henry, Lianne La Havas and Tom Jones.

‘The Fray’ is Smith’s sixth studio album, written and recorded in a universally difficult 2020, and his vulnerability throughout is offered to his listeners, unadorned. “It’s been a hell of a year, but I feel I’ve created my most honest work as a result, and as a necessity. A lot of these songs are about accepting that life is hard, but just holding on and trying to enjoy it anyway.” Smith’s stubborn optimism in tough circumstances shines through on the title track, in which he sings “Holding onto hope / I don’t need a decent reason / Yes and though it disappears sometimes / It returns with every season”.

Smith co-produced ‘The Fray’ with long-time friend and producer Sam Lakeman. They recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studio, with pianist Jason Rebello (Sting, John Mayer), bass player Ben Nicholls (Seth Lakeman, Nadine Shah), Drummer Jay Sikora (Paolo Nutini) and Jessica Staveley-Taylor of The Staves. The album is a true reflection of the times, with American collaborators Sarah Jarosz, Courtney Hartman, The Milk Carton Kids and Bill Frisell recording remotely and sending contributions over international borders. John’s frequent touring partner Lisa Hannigan contributed via a virtual studio session in Dublin.

Smith co-wrote a couple of songs for the album whilst on tour before the pandemic. Driving a rental car from Asheville to Nashville, John stopped to write the standout track ‘Eye to Eye’ with North Carolina-based Sarah Siskind. The Americana influence is a red thread throughout the album which beautifully compliments Smith’s unmistakable British Folk roots.

With 10 weeks in the US Americana top 50 charts, and with strong coverage in AP, Mojo, Sunday Times, No Depression, Guitar Magazine, and The Fretboard Journal, backed up with over 2 million streams in the first two months of release alone, ‘The Fray’ is set to become John’s most successful and critically acclaimed album.

Clara Mann:
Clara Mann’s latest EP, Stay Open, is a collection of alt-folk ballads born from a feeling of being in perpetual transition.

Clara writes songs about the restlessness of life in your early twenties and the immense power of optimism in dark times. She feels things very acutely and cries often- when she’s happy, sad, or simply moved (by things like: the evening light over the city, a dog on the street in a nice jacket, or choral music on the radio). She finds all of these things very poignant.

Her music usually begins in her drawings, or in short fragments of written text, in which she finds the first lines of songs. Inspired by the likes of Edith Piaf, Tom Waits, and Judee Sill, Clara likes to tell stories and paint pictures, without ever giving too much away. She loves to lean into the strange and the mysterious – but never compromises on tenderness.

After a busy year of shows including support tours with Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear) and Skullcrusher, Clara has spent the last few months working on her debut record, with which she hopes to throw herself into her music more than ever before.

Venue Access - Hallé St Peter’s has three floors (Basement, Ground Floor, First Floor). Each floor has level access and can be accessed via staircase or a wheelchair accessible passenger lift. Seating Non-fixed cushioned seating is available throughout.

We use a range of venues at Manchester Folk Festival and although all are accessible, in order to give the best possible experience, we need to let some venues know in advance if we have any audience members who are wheelchair users or require assistance. If you are a wheelchair user or require an essential companion ticket, please email info@englishfolkexpo.com to let us know before purchasing a ticket.

Please note - this event is part of Manchester Folk Festival 2023. Festival wristbands are available to purchase, and gives you access to ALL Manchester Folk Festival shows across three days. For more information please visit www.manchesterfolk.com/